


We Were Merely Freshmen

by DarkElements10



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-26 16:38:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15667098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkElements10/pseuds/DarkElements10
Summary: Before Jason's death, before the Black Hood, before the Northside and Southside went to war, Riverdale was the town with pep. And as Cheryl's best friend with her spot at the top of the social food chain, Gabriella Rush had to be like everyone else and keep up appearances. She didn't want anyone to know she was being tutored by Archie Andrews and that she really liked him. She didn't want anyone to know she had problems at home that would eventually entangle her with the Lodges, with her best friend's murder, and leave her smack in the middle of the war. Who knew freshman year could be so complicated? Riverdale, before it became the town that dreaded sundown, was a wholesome town with pep and its own fair share of drama. -Pre-Series-.





	1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

* * *

"So, you have to tell me."

"I have to tell you what?"

Gabriella 'Gabby' Rush looked at Cheryl with raised eyebrows, tearing her gaze away from her reflection in her compact mirror. Flawless brown skin, dark hair, with dark eyes to match and a brilliant white smile that off-set her skin and let her get anything she wanted. She closed her compact with a snap after touching up her lip-gloss, then glanced down at her books. Weren't they, just a minute ago, working on their history project? What in the world did she need to tell Cheryl about Ulysses S. Grant that she couldn't already figure out from her own textbook? Not that it'd help much, Cheryl cared about schoolwork about as much as she cared about…anything that wasn't Cheryl Blossom. And to Cheryl Blossom, nothing was more important than Cheryl Blossom.

Except her of course. BFFs always cared about each other more than anything in life. Even Jason said he wondered if she and Cheryl were twins rather than him and Cheryl. One look at the two of them and they'd know it certainly wasn't true. Other than the obvious differences in skin tone, Gabby at least liked to think she was a little more grounded. In 'the town with Pep' Cheryl was known as royalty and Gabby was known as her best friend, sidekick. It wasn't a bad gig, since Cheryl had practically adopted her since she'd moved to Riverdale.

Her mother, Sergeant Julia Rush, had been stationed in Riverdale the last time she'd come back from her deployment in Afghanistan. It should've been her last time on tour, before tensions rose and suddenly she was off again. If it weren't for Cheryl and Jason, Gabby realized, she'd probably had broken down ages ago.

"Who's escorting you to the dance?" Cheryl asked. Oh, so _that's_ what she was after. Cheryl cupped her chin in her hands, leaning across the table towards her best friend. "We need to have the best dates." Gabby gaped at her. "Why are you looking at me like that? Other than my fabulous new outfit that you haven't said anything about." Cheryl threw her arms in the air, showing off her sweater, high-waisted skirt, and matching stockings.

Gabby lifted her eyebrows and mimicking Cheryl's previous stance, resting her chin in her hands. "Mm. Haven't you had that for a while?"

"'I love that you're so aware of my closet, but this is the official Cheryl Blossom shade of red. No one else has this set, I made sure of it. And don't change the subject."

"Cherry," Gabby fitted Cheryl with her special nickname for her. She remembered when Jason tried to call his sister that and nearly got slapped for it. "Homecoming is months away."

Cheryl placed a hand to her chest. Her mascara-heavy lashes shifted upwards, eyes widening ins hock. " _Two_ months! And that's not nearly enough time to get everything together. For our first prom, we need to make a statement. And the statement is made at homecoming, everyone knows that."

"Prom?!" Gabby repeated. She stared at Cheryl as if she grew a second heard. Or a triplet. Knowing how crazy the Blossoms were, whichever came first. "Cherry, it's _September!"_ It was official. Cheryl Blossom, Cheryl Bombshell, Cherry Blossom, Gabby's best friend, had finally cracked.

It was a long time coming, Gabby supposed. Cheryl's family, by Gabby's own testimony, were nuts with Cheryl and Jason the sanest of them all. And if that was sane, Gabby didn't want to know what _insane_ was.

 _"_ Yes, the month signifying change, the growth of a new harvest and the maple syrup from the Blossom family flowing through the veins of Riverdale." Cheryl placed a hand to her chest, taking the moment to blink her eyes closed as if in rapture. Talking about herself was always one of her favorite things. "And as the new captain of the River Vixens, I have to make sure I have the best piece of mindless man candy on my arm. We have a new crop of boys this year."

Gabby rolled her eyes as soon as Cheryl not-so-subtly-mentioned her placement at the head of the River Vixens. It was known by everyone with ears that Cheryl had begged Gabby to join the Vixens since they started Middle School. They had to eat, sleep, and breathe Vixens while Gabby wanted nothing more than to eat, sleep, and slap Cheryl in the face every time she _brought up_ the Vixens.

Cheryl waved her hand, waving away Gabby's indifference about the school's cheerleading team. Gabby never wanted to be a part of the River Vixens. She had an athletic streak-her mother called it an aggressive streak-that only was remedied by smacking a ball and not smacking another girl's face. She preferred to be on the volleyball team. As girly as Gabby could be—she couldn't beat a good sale in the nearby Metropolitan city-volleyball was one of the few things that kept her grounded. Not much felt better to her than getting that perfect spike that shot the Riverdale Bulldogs to the top. Well, a good dress for homecoming could do it, too. That and a good date. Both of which she didn't currently have.

"It's up to us to take our pick of the litter, you can even ask Jay-Jay if you like." She shrugged and turned back to flipping through the fashion magazine she didn't bother to hide in her textbook. "He's plenty suitable."

"'I'm not asking Jay to go with me as my date." Gabby's nose wrinkled. "He's like, my brother. That'd be, like, dating _you_."

"And I'm a catch," Cheryl pointed out.

Gabby laughed.

Cheryl sat up straight, moving her long red hair behind her shoulders and laced her fingers together, hands resting atop a folded sheet of paper she produced from somewhere. Cheryl always had a trick up her sleeve. Honestly, it was something Gabby loved about her. Cheryl Blossom was never boring. "Just like cupid wrangling true love together with his arrows, I've compiled a list of suitable dates that we need to go through."

Gabby snorted, grinned. "Can you ever be normal?"

Cheryl ignored her. "I've put height and weight into consideration to us and each other–"

"–Did you mark down whether they're friends, too?" Gabby teased. "And their hair color? Eye color? Future aspirations? Trace their family lineage back to the Stone Age? Determine if we're going to take our last names or keep theirs? Sperm count? You know,"–Gabby leaned in and whispered conspiratorially–"sperm count is really important."

Cheryl's eyebrows came together as she tilted her head. Not taking her eyes off her best friend, she unfolded the sheet of paper, smoothed it with her hands. Finally, her eyes flickered over everything listed on the sheet. "Of course! I have to take all of it into consideration."

Unfazed, Gabby laughed again. Cheryl's antics would never get old. No matter what it was, it didn't take long for Cheryl to get an idea and for Gabby to go along with it simply because, well, because shew as her sister from another mister. Her ride or die. Her everything. They'd done a blood pact to prove it. _Even if I had to talk Cheryl into that one,_ Gabby thought, finding it ironic considering Cheryl's favorite–and signature–color was the same crimson shade.

Gabby watched Cheryl push the list into the center of their table, waving away the prying eyes of the rest of the River Vixens who sat at their table and started to explain the pros and cons of each of the boys on their list. As she did so, Gabby lifted her chin and looked around the library.

The rest of their classmates were busy with their work; Reggie, Moose, and Midge sat at their own table, laughing quietly while Reggie and Moose played paper football. Since joining the team, the two ate, slept, and breathed football. Midge, Moose's girlfriend since forever, was by Moose's side, cheering him on as she always did. She was so sweet, greeting everyone with a smile and a helping hand ready. Kevin Keller sat a table away, taking obvious peeks over the top of his textbook while trying to appear inconspicuous.

Gabby's lips curled. When Kevin finally came out as gay she didn't know how anyone else couldn't see it and were surprised. Kevin was as out and proud as a flashlight since they were in elementary school. She watched Kevin smile to himself as the rest of the football team around Reggie and Moose slowly chanted louder and louder for their teammates to win. Dilton Doiley shot Moose a disapproving glance over the top of his textbook, making Moose sheepishly grin in response.

"Just one more point and I'll win, Little Buddy," Moose reassured Dilton. "Then we can get back to work."

"Like that'll help," Josie McCoy murmured form the table on their other side. She rested her cheek in her palm, staring down at her notebook. From where Gabby sat, she could see her writing bits of lyrics—or poems—and song notes in the margins. Around her, Valerie and Melody did the same. "Can't break through a thick skull."

"That's what the helmet's for," Reggie said. "Got to protect the important equipment."

"I thought that's what the cup was for," Moose said.

The football team broke out into raucous laughter that not even the Pussycats could refrain from joining in. Dilton huffed and buried his head in his book. Far enough so that his bespectacled eyes peeked out over the top, glancing longingly across the library towards another table. The only table that was the furthest away from the rest of the class.

Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, and Jughead Jones sat there, working quietly all the while Miss. Grundy oversaw all the students from the circulation desk. Every now and then Miss. Grundy would shush them, but wouldn't get too involved. She was a young teacher, who Gabby and Cheryl called "Ms. Four-Eyes" and "Humpty Grundy" not so secretly, and was as much of a pushover as she could be stern when her buttons were pushed too far.

Clearly, Miss. Grundy was in a good mood that day as no matter the raucous the students caused, she didn't do much more than clear her throat. At least, until Moose's cup comment and the ensuing laughter. While Betty and Jughead both rolled their eyes, Archie glanced over towards the football team, almost with a sense of longing.

It had been a surprise when Archie Andrews showed enough prowess to join the football team. But, as Gabby noted, he was _not_ the football type. He wasn't fat, she thought snottily, but certainly nothing to look at. Enough that she dubbed him 'Aren't Ya Bald' off his true first name. And he was too nice for his own good. Didn't he that being a bit of a dick was the way to go? Instead of acting like you sucked one? One thing she could say for sure, of the football games she'd been to, he did a good job of warming the bench for everyone.

Betty. Of course, perfect Betty Cooper would have issues with the noise in the library. If she couldn't study, couldn't get good grades, couldn't be perfect in every way shape or from from the tips of her shoes to the tips of her annoying ponytail, then she couldn't be Betty Cooper. Gabby hated being around her and if it weren't for Jason dating Polly, Gabby would've avoided Betty all together. Jughead wasn't much better, with his mind on everything Riverdale lacked and he thought he was above, Gabby didn't have much feeling for him at all. As far as she was concerned, Jughead wasn't there. Just a dark cloud that continued to hover around Archie and Betty and make snide comments when he felt the need.

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Miss. Grundy got up from the circulation desk and walked to Reggie and Moose. She rested her hands on their shoulders, gently moving her fingers front and back. She smiled down at the two. "Let's settle down and get back to work, the period's almost over."

"What about _your_ period, Ms. Grundy?" Gabby called over. She caught Cheryl's eye, who smiled her encouragement. "Or have you hit menopause yet? You must be, what, pushing forty?" She, Cheryl, and the River Vixens all burst out laughing.

Miss. Grundy merely pushed her glasses up her nose and brought her fingers to her lips. Gabby rolled her eyes, shaking her head at Cheryl. Miss. Grundy wasn't fazed by her comments. Boo. That was no fun. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the day. She jumped up along with the others, gathering her discarded books and shoved them into her large cross-body bag that doubled as her purse.

"Ugh, I can't wait to get home and get away from these _peasants_ ," Cheryl commented, barking the last word towards Jughead, who crossed in front of her. Jughead merely smirked at her, shaking his head as he moved to blend into the crowd of Riverdale High, all eager to start the weekend. "I tried to get Mommy and Daddy to let me go to New York for school, but they said it wouldn't be good for their image. Like Riverdale is the pinnacle of reputations."

Gabby looped her arm through Cheryl's and they walked through the halls, their high heels click-clacking as they went. "I thought you were coming to my house."

"I am." Cheryl looked at Gabby in surprise. "Mi Case es Su Casa or whatever it is." She waved her hand. "I don't speak Spanish, all I know is Pina Collada." She nudged Gabby's arm. "Like the ones we had in Cabo this summer."

And what a summer it was. Nothing but surf, sun, sand, and the amazingly cute boys they hung out with all day every day. It was a good distraction from real life that was slowly falling apart. But the last thing Gabby wanted to talk about was missing her mother so much.

Gabby and Cheryl walked outside of Riverdale High in time to find the Blossom's luxury car pulling up to the curb. Without Jason in sight—he had football practice, Cheryl remembered—the girls had the backseat to themselves and talked and laughed the entire way back to Gabby's house. Gabby lead the way inside, haphazardly kicking her shoes off by the door.

"Daddy?" She called. A chill went up her spine, hearing her voice echo back to her. A sure sign the house was empty. No dad and certainly no mom. Still, Gabby tried again. "I'm home!"

Gabby walked into the kitchen, her eyes immediately landing on a post-it note that sat on the otherwise pristine cabinet doors. A sigh escaped her lips and she marched over to grab it. Apathy spread over her face as clear as the three bullet pointed messages: _Working late, don't wait up. We need to talk about your report card. Mom says she'll call soon._

He was always working late.

Since when was he around enough to care about her grades?

When was the last time her mom said she'd call? Right, a few weeks ago. She said she'd video call, too. But internet was spotty in Kabul and the call continued to drop reminding her that Afghanistan certainly was another world away.

Gabby ran a hand through her long hair. Fourteen years old and she was the loneliest person she ever knew.

"Do you want to go to my house instead?" Cheryl asked quietly, taking Gabby's hand and holding it firmly in hers. A steady force in the storm that brew around her. Gabby felt a swell of pride for her best friend, who always knew when to be supportive. "We could hang out with Jason."

"No." Gabby hitched her purse up her shoulder. "Let's just go to my room." Without a backwards glance, Gabby ripped the Post-It note from the cabinet and tossed it to the floor. She squeezed Cheryl's hand, pulling her along behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

* * *

When Gabby woke up the next morning, Cheryl was curled by her side. Painfully resting on Gabby's arm, forcing pins and needles up to her elbow. Cheryl, who studied every morsel and crumb that passed her lips, was heavier than she looked. Her red hair fanned over her pillow in a scarlet arch. Not quite a scarlet letter, but close. A halo that, for the moment in time, made Cheryl look like an angel, though she was certainly anything but. Not entirely devilish, but not so sweet, either.

Nevertheless, Gabby felt nothing but love for her best friend. There weren't many other people in the world that would stay with her all night when she'd have the entire house to herself. A daily occurrence for anyone who knew the life she led outside of school. House parties became nothing short of boring and beyond lame since eighth grade. How many times could she buy enough beer to get even the most hardened drunkard to sprint around the neighborhood completely naked? Reggie didn't seem to get tired of it—he always loved to show off his body, especially since having lost his baby fat when joining the football team. How many times could she clean up the leftover vomit, cigarette butts, and condom wrappers that littered the floors of her house before becoming simply tired of it?

About twenty-five, if her calculation was correct. (Despite what others thought of her, she really was highly skilled in mathematics. Cheryl, however, couldn't stand her getting good grades over her, Gabby kept that it quiet). That was how many dresses she'd bought for each party. How many shopping trips she went on to boost her spirits after coming home to an empty house time after time after time. She learned that lesson the hard way; when, one weekend, she didn't want to throw a party. But there was Reggie, Moose, Midge, and the River Vixens with as much party favors as her wide eyes could handle. She tried to talk them out of it, but they barged their way in, ignoring all her pleads and attempts to wanting to be alone and wallow in her own pity all before Cheryl, with a few unminced words, managed to get them to leave before spending the night with her.

Gabby knew it was because Cheryl was just as lonely as she was. Misery loved company and they knew how to be miserable together. But that morning, Gabby was as far from miserable as she could be. She was content, maybe even a little apathetic as she flipped back her covers, made sure Cheryl was tucked in and still sleeping before going down to the kitchen.

She wasn't surprised to hear the cacophonous sounds of her father's snoring the moment she reached the bottom of the stairs. Wasn't surprised to find him lying in his armchair in front of the flat screen TV with the sound turned down. Wasn't surprised to see a few empty beers scattered long the floor by the chair, one upended to dribble the pale amber liquid into the carpet. That she'd be cleaning, of course.

Gabby walked to her father and slapped the remote into her palm. The sting, at least, made her feel something. Gabby turned off the TV, gathered the beer bottles to recycle, then returned to her father, tucking him further into his armchair as she'd done with Cheryl earlier that morning. Head turned to the side, a five o'clock shadow covering his chin, her father looked as handsome to her as ever. And yet, looked nothing more than a stranger—a roommate she'd lived with for the past fourteen years.

She went into the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee before quietly making her way back to her room. Cheryl was only just starting to wake up when Gabby returned, her feet sinking into her plus carpet. In the time it took for her to cross her expansive bedroom, Cheryl sat up, swung her hair out of her face like a mermaid, and lovingly ran her fingers through it before stretching noisly.

"Okay, Ariel," Gabby said. She curled up in her desk chair, being careful not to spill any coffee. Ralph Lauren should never be stained. "When was the last time you used your dinglehopper?"

Cheryl's lips—pale pink with the lack of her 'Cheryl Bombshell' lipstick—stretched into a wide smile. "I love it when you talk dirty to me in the morning." She rolled her eyes. "Much better than any of those yutz at school could do."

Gabby took a sip of coffee and lifted her chin. "Speaking of, how was your date with Reggie?"

"Please. You know I don't date. No one's good enough for me."

"No one's good enough for Jason, either."

Cheryl rolled her eyes again. "In Jay's eyes, no one's every going to be good enough for me. Which is sweet, of course, my brother loves me. He wants nothing but the best for me and I certainly deserve the best." She held out her hands, wiggled her fingers. "Now, gimmie."

"Say please." Gabby held her coffee further away. Though, with the size of her bedroom, the expansive floor between them couldn't be any further. Cheryl gave her a 'oh please' look, dropping her hands. "There's not a lot you'd do, but I know you'd do it for me." She wiggled her coffee back and forth. "I mean, you _do_ love me, right?"

Cheryl's face then turned serious. And her words, though campy, were heartfelt. "I love you with the white-hot burning intensity of a thousand suns." Gabby smiled and stood up and went to Cheryl, giving her the coffee.

"I love you, too," Gabby replied and laughed when Cheryl made a show of sticking out her tongue, running it along the rim to claim the drink as her own. "All you had to do was ask."

"Asking is just short of begging and begging is not something us Blossoms do." Cheryl's eyes became distant, emphasized as she covered the lower half of her face, sipping at the coffee. Her hands trembled slightly, remembering the many times Penelope Blossom shoved the thought into Cheryl's and Jason's heads while simultaneously grooming Cheryl to be her callous mini-me. That they were better than anyone and everyone and asked for nothing.

They took.

"Musn't disappoint mother than I already do," Cheryl said, lowering the cup once more.

Gabby shook her head. "Hate to tell you, Cherry, but your mom sucks."

"Yes, well," Cheryl trailed off. Gabby knew what she was about to say. 'At least I have a mother'. A fair statement for an unfair circumstance. For a moment, Gabby felt a twinge of sadness flutter through her stomach. She only let the moment linger for that moment. Didn't feel any anger towards Cheryl's callous non-statement. Didn't have to. She'd become numb to it. Cheryl said it often enough when Gabby started to fell depressed or down about her mother's consistent deployments.

Cheryl hated war. The Blossoms never saw a point in it, Cheryl explained. The Blossoms never found anything interesting that didn't immediately include them, Gabby said in response. And yet, Gabby agreed. She hated war simply because it took her mother and father away. The moment her mother left, her father had gone with her. Present in body, but gone in mind and spirit. Even when her mother was back, it took ages for her father to turn back to his normal, loving self. It'd always comes too late.

And Gabby hated her mother for it. Hated that she always had to be strong, had to look out for her father, had to bet he 'brave little soldier I know you can be' while she was gone. When would she stick around long enough to know that what she was doing for their country, for their family, was tearing them apart more than it was bringing them close. Cheryl and Jason were her family now and that was all she needed.

Wordlessly, Gabby leaned over and rested her head on Cheryl's shoulder. Cheryl brought up her arm and wrapped it around Gabby's shoulders, stroked her fingers over Gabby's cheek. In silence, the two mourned their family lives, as they were to do when the conversation arose. Finally, Cheryl put the cup aside and clapped her hands together.

"Come, come! We must decide what we're going to delegate to the broke hearts of our loyal subjects with when it's our time to shine at school." Cheryl flittered her fingers towards Gabby's closet. "Come show me your new stash. Just because I had to miss the sales because of mother's insistence I attend her social gathering doesn't mean I have to be left out."

"You're lucky we're the same size, Cherry." Gabby got out of bed to do as she was told. Already feeling a hundred times better. She even giggled at Cheryl's passing comment of, "With that ass, I don't think so."

Cheryl vetoed nearly everything Gabby chose for the day, forcing her to change about twenty times before finally stating her attire of a gray blazer, black tie, white blouse—one as thin as tissue paper but costing about $500—pink pencil skirt, white thigh-highs and black boots were the way to go. And, of course Cheryl had to one-up her and take the most expensive outfit Gabby owned and hadn't had a chance to wear.

"You can't expect me to relinquish my name as 'best dressed' do you?" Cheryl asked, noticing Gabby's frustrated glance. She flipped open her purse, perused for her lipstick, and leaned into her mirror to carefully apply it with deliberately slow movements. She ran her index finger along the side of her mouth and smiled. "I've held onto that title for three years and I certainly intend to make it a fourth. That's something even my mother couldn't do." She snapped her purse shut and held out her arm. "Now, treat me to breakfast and we'll meet up with the girls before school."

Gabby sighed. She shook her head, looking over the photos that covered the wall above her desk. Photos of herself, Jason, and Cheryl that covered the top half. Of herself, Cherly, Josie, the pussycats, and Midge in the others. Moose and Reggie were in some. Even Dilton Doiley—or Dillhole Doiley as she called him—were in some of them. More than enough people she actually liked and somehow, Cheryl topped them all.

Gabby took Cheryl's outstretched hand, then grabbed her purse and phone with the other. The two left her bedroom and went to the kitchen. As Cheryl called Jason to pick them up—having to promise he'd have the car for himself, his friends, and his activities for a solid week to change his own plans—Gabby went through the motions as she did every morning.

She set up the coffee maker to start another pot, set it to brew it the exact moment her father awoke in the middle of the day, rinsed out the bottles he'd finished the night before, carefully hid away any potential hazards—how silly, to hide knives from parents when, for the first few years of life, parents hid any dangers from their children—and looked over the note he left her.

_Working late, don't wait up. We need to talk about your report card. Mom says she'll call soon._

Gabby thought for a moment, tapping her pen against her chin, then grabbed a post-it-note from the stack beside his. She scribbled quickly, signing her name haphazardly at the bottom.

_Went to school. My grades are fine. Ok. -Gabriella._

Like he didn't know her name. Gabby capped her pen and put it back in its rightful place, everything had its place. She turned back to Cheryl, who continued to wait patiently, scooped a camera off the counter, and walked outside to the car that waited for her.

Jason barely looked away from his phone, where his thumb rapidly moved over the face to type out a text, and said, "You're late," before sliding down the sunglasses that rested over his eyes. He looked past Gabby to his twin sister and shook his head. Almost mockingly. "You know mother's not going to like getting another call from the school."

"One more call isn't going to kill her, Jay-Jay." Cheryl slid into the seat that faced her brother. She crossed her leg at the knee, carefully grabbing her own sunglasses to slid over her eyes. "And you know mother, she loves to talk. Why not let her talk about her favorite subject?"

Jason smirked, the corner of his mouth turning up in a way that made all the girls in school swoon. Gabby rolled her eyes, sliding in next to Jason, closing the door behind her. The car started up as soon as the door was shut, pointing towards Riverdale high. "I thought _I_ was her favorite subject."

"You may be the favorite child, but I'm the one who's talked about most."

"Doesn't that mean something to you?"

"Don't you get it, Jay?" Gabby placed her hand on Jason's shoulder, squeezed tightly. He turned his smirk to her. "As long as someone's talking about Cheryl, then Cheryl's the one who ends up happy. And nothing is more important than Cheryl's happiness."

"Mm." Jason pressed his lips together. "Do you plan on getting that on a sampler?"

"Depends." Gabby smiled. "How much will you charge me for it?"

"Enough so that it never sees the light of day." Jason laughed. He shifted his eyes back to Cheryl. "We wouldn't want her head to get any bigger than it already is."

"Mm." Cheryl mimicked Jason, pressing her lips together. Her eyes flickered downward. "At least _something's_ big." Affronted, Jason shot Cheryl a nasty glare. Undeterred, Cheryl flicked her gleaming red hair over her shoulder and said, "Yes, that I'm the one who'll be remembered. And when you inevitably turn old and gray, I'll be the one who will carry on the Blossom name by my social skills and leadership. And what'll you have?" Cheryl tilted her head. "Football awards, accolades, a bad back, a beer belly, and Polly Cooper by your side."

"No doubt a fat whore who tried to relive her cheerleading days and living off your money by then," Gabby added. Her dimples appeared in her cheeks with the wicked smile she shared with Cheryl.

Jason's smirk immediately faded. His eyes turned a nasty shade of navy, a stark difference than the brilliant blue that typically showed with his jovial personality. Being the big man on campus wasn't a trait lost on him for his friendly attitude to everyone he spoke to. But that was gone, replaced by unbridled fury.

"Don't talk about her like that," Jason snapped. He leaned forward and looked at Cheryl so coldly that her breath became caught in her throat. Gabby's eyes widened, locked with Cheryl's. One step too far. "I don't care what you do, Cheryl, or what sort of games you want to play, but don't you dare fucking talk about her like that."

Cheryl held up her hands. A small smile was on her face. "I didn't say anything, Jay-Jay." She pointed a perfectly manicured finger toward Gabby. " _Gabs_ did."

"Please." Obviously, Jason liked to use Cheryl's word as much as Cheryl did. "Everyone knows she's just your puppy and follows everything you do. Everything always comes back to you. And some day, you're not going to be able to handle it."

He kicked the door open as the Blossom's driver arrived at school. He stormed out, pulling his crossbody bag over his shoulder as he did so. Cheryl pouted, stepping out the car after her brother. "He's mad at me." She pouted. "Jason's never mad at me." Cheryl glared at Gabby over her shoulder. "Why'd you have to talk about Polly like that? You know how he gets about her."

Gabby's eyebrows rose. She started to defend herself, but Cheryl walked away from her without a backwards glance. Everyone in front of her leapt out of the way as she strode to the building. With a roll of her eyes, Gabby shook her head. Leave it to Cheryl to be so dramatic about things. It wouldn't take too long for her to come back as if something happened. Just like always.

Instead of dwelling over it, Gabby, instead, pulled out her camera. Things always were much clearer when she looked through the lens. She snapped a quick photo of Jason and Cheryl; twins in all manner of the word storming apart from each other, rather than being a unified front.

Turning her camera around the front of Riverdale High, Gabby caught sight of her other classmates. Archie and Betty walking to school as they always did with Jughead ambling at a much slower pace behind them, staring at the ground as he went. Midge talking a mile a minute with Josie and the rest of the pussycats. The football team gathered together, clapping each other on the back and laughing loudly. Gabby took a picture of Reggie as he threw a football her way.

Gabby squeaked and moved to clasp her hands together, moved to hit the ball with a volleyball bump. Moved too slow. Her camera made her clumsy, unsure of how to put it down safely without the strap around her neck. She closed her eyes and ducked, heard the ball catch against something. Felt the wind whip around her when it was thrown back.

Reggie grinned. "Nice catch, Andrews!" He called.

"Thanks, Reggie," Archie replied. Gabby stood up from her crouch to see Archie standing behind her, hands shoved into the front pocket of his sweatshirt. The nearly identical sweatshirt he wore the day before and the day before that. Jughead had an excuse, she surmised, he was poor. Didn't have much in the way of making an appearance at school. She hardly noticed him as it is. But Archie lived on the Northside, his father's construction company was doing well enough, why he continued to allow himself to put forth a less than ideal front, she didn't know.

Gabby cast a cursory glance over Archie's form. Soft, round, doughy, a little bit overweight. Not anything too interesting to look at, though many people—somehow—seemed to get him and Jason mixed up from behind. _Yeah, right,_ Gabby thought. _Like anyone would give him a second thought._

Reggie seemed not to have the same opinion as he sauntered to Archie and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You really should try out for the team," he said. "We could use you."

"Like you need another concussion?" Betty asked.

"I've got a hard head." Reggie rapped his knuckles against the side of his head to prove his point. "It takes more than a few hits to knock me down. And Andrews here looks like he could take some good hits."

"Sure, if we're talking about how many punches his stomach can take," Gabby snorted. "It's just like playdough, regains its shape after every mark."

Jughead finally spoke up, watching Gabby with as much indifference as she cast on him. "That's a great way to say 'thank you' to someone who's going to keep you from repeating the year," he remarked. His eyes flickered to Reggie. "And, for once, I'm not talking about you. But there's time."

Reggie tightened his grasp on Archie's shoulder, making the redhead wince. "I'd love to see you out on the field, Jones. See if you can back up your mouth with any talent," he remarked.

"Yeah, it takes a lot of talent to chase a ball up a field," Jughead said. His lips barely twitched. "Do you like playing fetch, Reggie?"

Reggie removed his hand from Archie. He stepped toward Jughead, clenching his hands into fists. "Are you saying I'm a dog?"

"Woof, woof."

"Stop," Archie said wearily. He looked to Jughead, who shrugged and turned away, already bored with the conversation.

"You're going to let him talk to Jughead like that?" Betty asked, appalled.

Jughead shrugged lazily. "I don't need Archie to fight my battles for me." Then a wicked smile came to his face. "He can hardly run the football field let alone throw a punch."

Archie rolled his eyes, but looked unoffended at his best friend's jab. Tired of the conversation, Gabby started to walk away. It was Archie's question, low and directed toward the ground, that caught her attention. Made her stop in her tracks. "Do you want to meet in the library after school?"

"For what?"

"What do you think, Gabs?" Reggie flashed an inappropriate smile. "A good ol' roll in the hay! I didn't know you had it in you, Andrews. School's not the first place I'd think of, but the gym's actually—"

"—Come on, Reggie," Betty protested. She folded her arms. She shook her head, blonde ponytail swaying. "Is your mind always in the gutter?"

"No, it's usually on the field," Reggie said.

"That explains so much," Jughead intoned.

Archie and Gabby ignored them all. Arche scuffed at the ground with his foot. "Miss. Grundy asked if I'd help you out," he explained. "She's worried about your grades."

Gabby sneered. "Humpty Grundy isn't even our teacher!"

Archie shrugged. "She says she cares deeply about her students. That we're thriving or whatever." Archie shook his head. "I said I'd think about it, that I'd ask you. It's up to you."

"And what are _you_ getting out of it?"

"Nothing."

The answer startled Gabby. She looked at Archie closely. Quiet, unassuming Archie who didn't have a bad word to say about anyone. Who may as well be invisible to everyone at Riverdale High. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for his red hair being so similar to Jason's she'd never notice him at all.

"If you want, we can meet after school," Archie continued. "If you don't show up." He shrugged again. "That's fine, too."

And go back to what? Staying in an empty house with no one to talk to, nothing to do, and only the sound of silence to accompany her? _I'd rather be dateless at Pops' on Friday,_ Gabby thought. _And that's social suicide._ Plus, it'd keep from setting off another series of hollow post-it-notes when her father certainly couldn't care less about her grades or her schoolwork.

Ever since Hiram Lodge had been named as a person of interest in an embezzlement case, he'd done nothing but put in long hours that continued to stretch as the days went on. What his advertising company had anything to do with Hiram Lodge, she wasn't sure, but it sure took him away a lot.

Gabby sighed, looked back toward the school. Was surprised to find Cheryl standing in the doorway to the school, tapping her foot, looking at her phone. As if waiting for her.

"Fine," Gabby surprised herself saying.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

-

School for Gabby was nothing short of boring. Not because nothing happened, it was Riverdale, nothing ever happened, but because she was by herself. Not for the first time she was at her locker by herself, she was in her classes by herself, she was in the locker room for gym by herself. All the times where she would’ve been with Cheryl she was alone.

Cheryl really knew how to punish people when she really wanted to. And Gabby got nothing but a cold shoulder from the Bombshell all day. So cold that she felt a cold sweat form at her brow every time Cheryl was nearby. When Cheryl was whispering and giggling with Midge and Josie, were they talking about her? When they laughed loudly at their lunch table, was it something Gabby was missing out on? What inside jokes would she have to work hard to decipher later? What did that raised eyebrow and congratulatory smirk mean every time Gabby looked her way?

And Gabby had enough time to think about it, while ignoring the stares that came her way when everyone realized she was alone. Maybe kicked off her high-horse and crushed underneath Cheryl’s stiletto red boot was something they all enjoyed. Gabby didn’t put too much energy into figuring out whether it was the truth. (Though Jughead’s snort as Gabby looked around the lunchroom, clutching her tray to herself while looking for a place to sit was enough to give Gabby a boost in her eye-rolling game to make sure no one else even dared to look smug at her).

Instead, she settled herself into her own little world. A world that, honestly, was slowly crashing and burning. Her email continued to stay empty of anything from her mother, and she was supposed to have time to get in contact with her. She missed her phone call, Gabby _never_ missed a phone call from her mother. Even when she was at the movie theater in the drive in she’d run out and talk to her mother as long as she could. Sometimes missing the entire second half because she needed to hear _everything_.

Her father…she couldn’t remember the last time she and her father had a honest conversation. It seemed that the longer her mother was gone, the longer he stayed at work. Often coming back to the house at the odd hours of the morning, moving as quietly as possible. Often not making it far from the living room where he’d crash to sleep for Gabby to find the next morning.

He’d promised her, _promised_ her that nothing would change while her mother was deployed. _How long did that last, dad?_ Gabby flicked her thumb over her phone screen, scrolling through her social media accounts, making all the laughter and whispers around her from permeating into her brain, making her upset.

Never let them see you sweat. Cheryl rule number 1 of a long list of things Gabby needed to remember when she was in public.

The second thing that bothered Gabby about the day was that Chuck Clayton didn’t seem to want to leave her alone. How many events could they go to together before he realized that they were no longer dating? In all honesty, they’d only started going out because their mothers suggested it. When they, awkwardly, sat in the back of Coach Clayton’s car at the drive-in— _not touching_ —there was an unmistakable feeling that something was expected to come of them being together.

When Coach Clayton had—finally—left the car so that he could get them some more snacks, Gabby and Chuck had finally said what was on their minds. They were put together because they were some of the only black teen sin Riverdale. Yes, there was Josie, Valerie, and Melody—the Pussycats—but how many guys would suffer the wrath of Mayor McCoy to go out with Josie if something happened? Let alone would Josie, who’s one true love in life was music, let any guy get in her way of becoming a music star? Not even Valerie or Melody could talk her into going on any of the dates she was asked out on.

Then again, as far as Gabby was concerned, the Pussycats were a little too close for comfort. There was something to be said of their band name as it was. Chuck, on the other hand, had shot up like a reed, lost his braces, gained some muscle from practicing with the football team over the summer, and became his own man. To a fault. When she and Chuck were alone, they were great together. When he was around his football buddies, that’s when he became the asshole Gabby couldn’t stand.

The asshole that continuously heckled her at lunch, calling her to sit on his lap and wondering when the next time was they were going to go out. (As if making out at a few parties and pretending to be a ‘golden couple’ when their parents needed it was ‘going out’).

But Gabby ignored it all, flashing a large smile on her face as if everything was okay. Laughing intermittently at her phone even though the screen was as black as the midnight sky hovering over the woods in Riverdale. As black as the black hole that Cheryl’s absence of her days was. They were best friends, they had to make up at some point. All Gabby had to do was give her some space and things would go back to normal.

Even if that normal was being treated like a social pariah. But if you got on Cheryl Blossom’s bad side, you were there for a while. Jason said as much when Gabby caught him at the end of the school day. She’d just gathered her school books from her locker when she watched Jason and Polly Cooper walk by, heads bent toward each other as they spoke quietly.

He held her hand, gently running his fingertips over her knuckles, reassuring her about something. Gabby could tell from the earnest way his head lifted when Polly turned a skeptical eyebrow raise his way. Then he smiled, said something else that made her smile and nod. He pressed a kiss to her forehead them to her lips, making her giggle and turn away. She waved a pom-pom toward him, then rushed off to her River Vixens practice. Cheryl may boast about being a captain, when in all actuality she was the co-captain while Polly was the lead.

Gabby waited until she was sure she’d have Jason’s attention before calling out to him. “Jase,” Gabby said. He turned to face her. Gabby sighed, pulling her purse up over her shoulder.  She held her coat over her arms, covering her hands as she twisted her fingers together. “I just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier.” Jason tilted his head, confused. “About Polly.” He nodded, clarity coming over his face. “I know you really like her, and it wasn’t fair of me.”

Jason waved a hand. Waved off her apology. “Forget about it,” he said.

“No, I really need to say it. You’re one of my best friends, Jase, and I don’t want anything to jeopardize that.”

Gabby started to say something else then stopped. Instead, she gave him a tiny smile. One she knew that made her dimples stand out and always made him forgive her. How else did she get him to finally start speaking to her again after she accidentally destroyed his completed LEGO Death Star model? Buying another one and some other kits for him probably helped but she was stubborn and didn’t want to lose him as a friend.

“Even Cheryl?” Jason prompted. Gabby’s smile immediately dropped. Her head jerked back in surprise, eyebrows furrowing. Jason looked away form a moment. He licked his lips and ran his hands over his face before saying, “Look, I know Cheryl can be a handful sometimes. I love her. But she’s also one who will do anything to make sure no one gets in her way of what she wants. I don’t want you to get caught up in that.”

Gabby let out a startled laugh. “Caught up in what? Jase, you know I can handle myself.”

“I know you can,” Jason said. “You’re the one who managed to take down the entire third grade in dodge ball.” Despite herself, Gabby started to smile. “You even broke Moose’s nose. And Moose is a pretty tough nut to crack.” He tapped himself on the chest, where his football pads would have been residing. “Trust me. I’ve had a whole summer of trying.”

“How’s it going?” The two started to walk with each other down the hallway. “Being on the football team, I mean?” She and Cheryl had gone to watch his try-out, with Cheryl practicing her new cheers of being River Vixen. If Jason were embarrassed at all, he didn’t show it. No, he grinned towards Cheryl and Gabby every time they cheered for him. Even going so far as to say Cheryl’s presence really helped him out.

Not many guys would say that about their sisters. Jason was the one who cheered the loudest when Cheryl was named co-captain of the River Vixens, even giving her pointers to be sure she was at her best when she did nothing but practice around Thornhill Mansion. Thankfully Jason was there to do it, Gabby always thought, or else she’d be the guinea pig to Cheryl’s crazy plans.

“It’s great,” Jason replied. A ghost of a smile came to his face. “We have our first game soon. A really big one, too. The guys and I have been working hard to make sure we beat them.” He smirked. “Not that it’ll be hard, it’s against Southside High.”

Gabby let out a loud bark of laughter. Southside High. Not a threat at all. Their football team was even weaker than their wrestling team and that was saying something considering they didn’t have many options out of the school population that was filled with criminals and burnouts.

“Should be a good show, then.”

“The stands will be filled, that’s for sure.” Jason spun out of the way of Dilton Doiley as he marched past, tying a complicated knot in the tie he wore around his neck. Probably going to his next Boy Scout meeting, she determined. There wasn’t much he did in terms of socializing otherwise. “If they can get away from their super important meetings, I mean.” He joined in with Gabby’s laughter.

“And Polly?”

“What about her?”

“She just seemed really upset before.” Not that she didn’t expect Polly to be at the front of the crowd, cheering her heart out. No matter how many fights she and Jason had—which, admittedly weren’t that many, she was always there for him. “I mean…you didn’t tell her what I said, did you?”

Jason smiled. “Polly’s a lot tougher than you give her credit for, Gabs. You’d have to say a lot worse to get to her than that.” Gabby gave him a knowing look and Jason simply shrugged in response. There wasn’t much that would get through Jasons’s friendly exterior. He’d reacted badly because it was someone he loved. He would’ve done the same if it were for Cheryl. “And…everything’s fine. We’re just working through some things.”

“Don’t tell me that Riverdale’s golden couple is having a lover’s spat,” Gabby teased.

Jason’s smile fell from his face. For a long moment, long enough that he didn’t notice she’d stopped walking to look at him, Jason was silent. Finally, he turned back to her, gave a shrug and a boyish smile and said, “Things can’t be perfect all the time,” before he waved and headed to practice.

-

The bell above Pop’s Chok-o-Lit shop rang as Gabby walked inside. She hitched her purse up her shoulder, looking around for someone to sit with. Of course, no one from Northside was there to rescue her form sitting alone again. The sea of leather jackets that turned her way was enough for her to know she made a mistake.

Just to be sure, Gabby looked at her phone and sighed. It was Southside time. Everyone in Riverdale knew when it was time for the Northside to be in Pops and for the Southside to be in Pops and didn’t intermingle much more than they needed to. Jughead, she could see sitting in the corner of the restaurant amongst numerous burger wrappers, seemed to be the only person in Riverdale to not care. He hardly looked at her, when she entered, too engrossed in whatever it was he was plucking away on his laptop.

The Southside, however, didn’t seem to pay her much mind either. The younger teen guys sneered at her before looking away, the older guys gave her an obvious once over before turning away. Only one of the teen girls gave her more than a passing glance, and Gabby couldn’t help but notice her either. The pink hair she sported atop her head in a bun made it difficult for her to be missed.

Still, her gaze wasn’t friendly either. Not as dismissive, but not friendly.

“Gabriella Rush, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Gabby smiled at Pops as he walked down the diner to her, drying his hands on the dishtowel almost constantly draped over his arm. Gabby dropped her purse to her hand, and carefully placed herself on the stool at the counter. Further down the counter she noticed FP Jones give her a quick glance then looked away.

She briefly wondered why Jughead wasn’t acknowledging his father, but certainly didn’t have any room to talk about it. Her own relationship with her father, while out in Riverdale, was hard enough. How many times could she watch him put back beer after beer while slowly but surely getting progressively more used to it. Waiters and waitresses looking at him in concern as he asked for, yet another beer was enough to make her want to crawl in a hole and die.

“Late day snack,” Gabby replied.

Pops smiled. His gaze shifted to the empty stool beside her. “Where’s your partner in crime? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without Cheryl in years.”

Gabby frowned. It must’ve been obvious if Pops noticed it. Then again, Pops knew everything about Riverdale. He _was_ Riverdale as far as anyone was concerned. He didn’t care about the Northside and the Southside, didn’t care about any of the status of anyone that came through his doors. In Pops’ eyes, everyone was his friend and he treated them as such. And Pops was, sort of, a grandfather to her. He was the one who listened to her cry her eyes out over her milkshake that her father had bought to cheer her up the first time her mother was deployed, all the way back in the second grade.

Since then, he consistently asked her how things were going. Making sure she was ‘okay’.

Instead of responding to his question, God couldn’t she do _anything_ without Cheryl being brought up, Gabby rested her chin in her hands and said, “Pops, you’d do a lot better if you upgraded some things around here.” Not that she didn’t like the classic look of the diner. She loved it. But after a long day of being excluded, she needed to lash out at something.

“Yeah?” He looked amused. “Like what.”

“Well, for starters,” Gabby tilted her head towards the Serpents. “You can get rid of the trailer trash.”

Pops folded his arms over his chest. He gave her a serious look, his famous smile dropping from his face. “Everyone is welcome here, Gabriella, you know that.” Then he smiled and playfully swatted her with his towel, making Gabby pretend to squeal and bring her hands back from being hit. “Even spoiled brats like you.”

“Noted.”

“So what can I get you?”

“A milkshake is fine.”

“Coming right up.”

The bell over the door rang again. Somehow, Gabby knew who it was without turning around.

“There you are!” Cheryl dramatically burst open the door of Pops. Gabby, used to such entrances, hardly even flinched as all eyes turned Cheryl’s way. This time, the looks were much more menacing. A teen boy with a tattoo on his neck snorted loudly, tapping the back of his fork against the table top. “I was looking all over for you. Jay-Jay said you were on your way here after that tutoring session with Farchie.” She spread her arms wide, nearly hitting a passing waitress in the face. “And, here you are.”

Part of her wondered how Cheryl knew about Archie tutoring her that afternoon. Not that much tutoring had even gotten done. Miss. Grundy gave them the library to use but she continued to hover around the two, correcting Archie or Gabby on things they said that she deemed wrong. Not to mention her consistent staring over the top of her glasses, as if waiting for them to do something wrong. Archie slowly grew uncomfortable with the attention while Gabby simply shot nasty looks to her, telling Archie to ignore her.

Nevertheless, Gabby didn’t pay too much attention anyway. She continued to look over her shoulder, glancing around to see if anyone noticed the two of them together. If word got out, she’d never hear the end of it.

Gabby looked at Cheryl with a raised eyebrow. “You’re talking to me, now?”

At that, Cheryl lowered her hand and rolled her eyes. “What’s a little trial separation between friends. We can’t be together all the time and you know I had to smooth things over with Jason. He’s so in love with Polly it’s positively sickening.” She perched herself on the stool next to Gabby, crossing her legs at the knee. This time, her protruding foot nearly knocked down another waiter. “It’s like he’s lost his sense of humor or something.”

“Or something,” Gabby agreed, but didn’t press further. She knew what happened when she got in the middle of Cheryl and Jason after a particularly nasty incident when they were eight and arguing over something stupid.

“Anyway, like the saint I am, I decided to forgive you,” Cheryl continued. “Today was absolutely boring without you and I don’t think I could ever go through it again.” She reached out and grasped Gabby’s wrists, sticking her lower lip out in a pout. “Please don’t leave me again.”

Gabby wanted to put Cheryl through the wringer a little bit. Wanted to make her suffer, wanted to make her a little nervous over the way things had played out that day. But with one more look around Pops, Gabby knew she couldn’t do it. There weren’t many people that truly understood her (and vice versa) or was as much fun to hang out with.

Even if she did have to be careful with jeopardizing it.

After all, they were best friends.

-

 **A/N:** Wow, writing Gabby’s character makes it a lot of things appear to be bashed. I don’t mean any of it, it’s just from Gabby’s POV. (As warped as it is from how much of a façade she puts on, lol). I really liked writing Jason, he’s probably going to end up being an even bigger character than I originally intended.

**Cheers,**

**\--Riley**


End file.
